The present disclosure relates to pallet guard ends or terminators and relates more particularly to pallet guard terminators that can complete a pallet guard assembly, including an assembly that may not completely enclose a pallet.
Pallet guards have been used to surround pallets loaded with goods, where the palletized goods are provided for display, selection or storage, for example. Pallet guards help to protect the palletized merchandize from being damaged, as may occur with equipment commonly used to load or move pallets of goods, or shopping carts or persons in a retail environment. Pallet guards also protect persons and equipment from the pallets themselves, which are often made of wood that can splinter, or have sharp edges, and can represent a potential hazard for persons or equipment in a retail environment. In addition, pallets can also be larger than the merchandise loaded on the pallet, so that a loaded pallet that has portions that extend beyond the loaded goods may represent a tripping hazard or obstacle for equipment that is not always easily seen. Pallet guards therefore serve a number of useful purposes, and can be adapted to be adjustable to permit the pallet guard to more closely match the size of the pallet, or group of pallets, around which it is placed. Furthermore pallet guards can be provided in an assembly that can be adjusted around a number of pallets to provide additional flexibility and advantage, such as by segregating palletized goods into groups.
Pallet guards are typically modular, in that they form an assembly with sections that can be interlocked and expand or contract to suitably match the dimensions of the pallet(s). In one example of such a pallet guard, U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,768 to Giampavolo, et al. illustrates an adjustable pallet guard with interconnecting corner sections. One type of corner section includes a wall panel, while another type includes a cavity that can receive a wall panel. The pallet guard members are adjustable as the wall panel can slide within the cavity. The corner sections are configured to permit interconnection of the wall panel and cavity sections at corners at a number of angles, e.g., 90°, 180° or 270°. With this type of configuration, pallet guards can be assembled to surround a periphery of a pallet arrangement, which pallet arrangement may include a number of pallets, and may include inward corners.
One drawback to known pallet guard configurations such as the assembly discussed above is that the pallet guard surrounds an entire periphery of a pallet arrangement. Sometimes, it is desirable to arrange palletized goods next to a structure, such as wall surface, or where the palletized goods are exposed on three sides, such as at the end of an aisle in a retail setting. In some settings, a number of different palletized goods may be arranged along a wall, so that one or sometimes two sides of the palletized goods are exposed, while the other sides adjoin a wall or other pallets. In such instances, it may be undesirable to provide pallet guard portions around an entire pallet when one or more sides of the pallet are obstructed, such as by a wall surface or another pallet. For example, by providing a pallet guard assembly along a side of a pallet that is obstructed, a larger space or footprint is used by the entire pallet arrangement, since the pallet guard assembly on the obstructed side creates additional clearance or spacing from the wall surface or other pallet. In addition, pallet guard sections may be employed that do not serve their intended purpose of protecting the pallet or persons or equipment from damage or injury.
If a section of a pallet guard assembly is removed from a side of a pallet to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, the remaining pallet guard sections are not secured to the pallet and may become loosened from the pallet to become an obstruction, as well as failing to protect individuals and equipment from contact with the pallet. If a connecting piece of the pallet assembly, such as a corner section illustrated in the above patent, were to be used to enclose a corner of a pallet, such that the connecting piece contributes to securing the pallet guard to the pallet, the drawback arises that the connecting piece is available only in one orientation or side of the pallet guard assembly, and also serves to space the protected pallet away from the wall surface or adjoining pallet at greater distance than would otherwise be desired. In addition, because the connecting piece does not surround both corners of the pallet facing the wall surface or adjoining pallet, the challenge of preventing loosening of the pallet guard is still present.